LOS ANGELES — The biggest night in television is still days away, but Hollywood’s Emmy race is already in full swing.

Before the main 78th Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Sept. 14, some of television’s most acclaimed shows are battling for a massive collection of trophies during the first two nights of the 2026 Emmy Awards.

Leading the charge are medical drama The Pitt, comedy powerhouse Hacks, and Apple TV’s critically acclaimed newcomer Pluribus.

And with more than 100 Emmy categories being presented before the main televised ceremony, the early awards could reveal which shows are building the strongest momentum heading into television’s biggest night.

The ceremonies are being held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and were previously known as the Creative Arts Emmys. The Television Academy has now rebranded them as the first two nights of the 78th Emmy Awards.

‘The Pitt’ Leads the 2026 Emmy Race With 25 Nominations

HBO Max medical drama The Pitt entered the 2026 Emmy Awards as the most-nominated series, earning 25 nominations.

That puts enormous pressure on the acclaimed drama — but also gives it plenty of opportunities to add to its trophy collection before the main ceremony.

The show’s nominations stretch across acting, directing, writing and multiple technical categories, making it one of the strongest contenders throughout Emmy weekend.

The series could also benefit from its broad support across the acting races.

Several members of the show’s cast are nominated, while stars and nominees connected to the series are also taking part in the weekend’s ceremonies.

For Emmy watchers, the big question is simple:

Can The Pitt turn its nomination dominance into an awards sweep?

The answer could start becoming clear long before the Sept. 14 primetime telecast.

‘Hacks’ Could Make Emmy History Again

While The Pitt dominates the drama side, Hacks remains one of the biggest forces in comedy.

The acclaimed series received 24 nominations, putting it just behind The Pitt in the overall nomination race.

The show’s fifth and final season has been positioned as a major opportunity for the series to add another chapter to its already successful Emmy legacy.

One of Hacks’ biggest advantages is its strength across multiple categories.

The show landed an extraordinary number of nominations, including a major presence in the guest acting races.

According to Emmy coverage, five of the seven nominees for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series came from Hacks, giving the show an unusually strong chance of adding to its awards total.

That means the comedy could potentially begin building momentum even before its biggest categories are decided.

And for fans of the series, the final season could turn into one last major Emmy celebration.

‘Pluribus’ Could Be the Breakout Story of the 2026 Emmys

One of the most intriguing contenders this year is Pluribus, the drama from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan.

The series entered the Emmy race with 18 nominations, making it one of the year’s biggest rookie contenders.

The show stars Rhea Seehorn and has attracted significant attention for its unusual story and ambitious creative approach.

But the early Emmy ceremonies could give Pluribus an important head start.

The series has opportunities across numerous technical and creative categories, and reports before the ceremony suggested it could potentially collect as many as 10 awards during the early weekend events.

That would give Pluribus enormous momentum heading toward the main ceremony.

The question now is whether the newcomer can turn critical buzz into Emmy gold.

‘Widow’s Bay’ Also Enters the Battle

The Emmy race is not just a three-show contest.

Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay is also among the major contenders and entered the awards season with 19 nominations.

Like Pluribus, the series has multiple chances to collect trophies before the primetime ceremony.

Reports indicated that Widow’s Bay could potentially win as many as 10 awards during the early Emmy presentations.

That makes the 2026 Emmy season particularly competitive.

The Pitt leads the nomination count.

Hacks is chasing a huge final-season celebration.

Pluribus is looking to establish itself as television’s newest powerhouse.

And Widow’s Bay is waiting for the chance to spoil the party.

More Than 100 Awards Are Being Handed Out Before the Main Event

Many casual viewers only watch the Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast.

But a huge number of Emmy trophies are actually awarded before the main telecast.

The first two nights recognise achievements across technical, artistic, guest acting, writing, directing and other categories.

The awards cover everything from:

• Guest performances
• Casting
• Writing
• Directing
• Picture editing
• Makeup
• Hairstyling
• Music
• Sound
• Production design
• Reality and game show hosting
• Animated programming
• Television movies
• Variety programming

The weekend’s ceremonies therefore provide an early snapshot of which productions have the broadest support across the television industry.

Big Names Are Also Competing for Early Emmy Glory

The early ceremonies are not only about behind-the-scenes awards.

Several major Hollywood names are competing for trophies.

Among the high-profile nominees are:

• Michael J. Fox
• Laurie Metcalf
• Christopher McDonald
• Jamie Lee Curtis
• Leslie Bibb
• Hamish Linklater
• Rob Reiner
• Jeff Hiller
• Tal Anderson
• Colman Domingo

The guest acting categories are particularly competitive this year, with several major stars appearing in acclaimed comedy and drama series.

The ceremony also comes with the possibility of posthumous recognition.

Rob Reiner, nominated for his guest role in The Bear, could receive an Emmy during the awards season.

Early Winners Are Already Making Headlines

The first night of the early Emmy ceremonies has already produced several notable winners.

Alan Cumming continued his winning streak, taking home another Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for The Traitors.

The win marked his third consecutive victory in the category.

Mariska Hargitay also made headlines after winning two Emmys for her documentary project before she is set to host the main Primetime Emmy Awards.

Other major early winners included The Muppet Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny’s halftime show proved especially dominant, earning multiple awards and becoming one of the major stories of the first night.

What Happens After the Early Emmy Ceremonies?

The two early Emmy nights will be edited into a broadcast scheduled to air on Sept. 12 on FXX, with streaming on Hulu the following day.

But the biggest ceremony remains ahead.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Sept. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The event will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.

That is where many of television’s most prestigious awards — including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series — will be decided.

Could the Early Awards Predict the Big Winners?

Not always.

A series can dominate technical and creative categories but still lose one of the night’s biggest awards.

But an early Emmy haul can create momentum.

It can also send a message.

If The Pitt starts piling up trophies, its position as the year’s leading drama contender could become even stronger.

If Hacks dominates its comedy categories, its final season could be headed for a historic farewell.

And if Pluribus emerges with a major trophy haul, the newcomer could become one of the biggest stories of the entire Emmy season.

For now, however, the race remains wide open.

Hollywood Is Watching the Scoreboard

The early ceremonies may not have the same television audience as the Primetime Emmys.

But for the people inside Hollywood, they matter.

A trophy won for editing, writing, music, acting or production can help define a show’s legacy.

And with some of the year’s biggest series competing across dozens of categories, the early Emmy scoreboard could soon become very crowded.

The Pitt has the most nominations.

Hacks has a final season to celebrate.

Pluribus has the chance to become the year’s biggest breakout winner.

And Widow’s Bay is still waiting in the wings.

The main Emmy Awards are still ahead.

But make no mistake:

The battle for television’s biggest prizes has already begun.

WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D